An Evaluation of Factors Influencing the Energy-Efficient Operation of Well-Mixed Fluidized Bed Dryers

Abstract

This article describes the results of calculations of specific energy consumption, E _s , performed on a well-mixed fluidized bed dryer simulator. Exhaust air temperature–humidity loci required to yield a specified outlet moisture content were also determined. Most of the calculations related to solids whose drying rate was gas-film controlled. Six model drying curves were employed to examine the effects of drying rate and hygroscopicity in addition to the normal operating parameters. The results indicated that E _s was highest for slow-drying hygroscopic solids and lowest for fast-drying, non-hygroscopic solids. Specific energy consumption increased with decreasing bed temperature and outlet moisture content and with increasing heat loss but was independent of solids loading and airflow rate. For both the aforementioned solids and a much slower drying material (wheat), there was close agreement between the zero heat loss data and a single theoretical curve approximating the performance of an ideal adiabatic dryer. Distinct differences between the behavior of well-mixed and plug flow fluidized bed dryers are reported.

Keywords:

• Design
• Energy consumption
• Fluidized bed dryers
• Modeling